Memorandum handed to Mr. Adee by the Chinese minister, Mr. Wu.
A joint telegram, from Viceroys Li Hung Chang, Liu Kun-Yi, and Chang Chih Tung and Director-General Sheng, dated at Nankin, seventh moon, sixteenth day (August 10), and received by Minister Wu on the same day.
Although the foreign settlements at Shanghai are under the joint protection of the several powers, we have assumed the responsibility of protecting the whole region from Shanghai up on the Yangtze River, and no disturbance by lawless characters will be tolerated. There are now anchored in the vicinity about twenty foreign war ships, most of them being British. Information is also received of the expected arrival of two thousand Indian troops at Shanghai, which is causing an alarm and an exodus of merchants and other Chinese. It [Page 285] is feared that the place will, in consequence, become deserted and business paralyzed, in which event the purpose of the movement may be misunderstood at the different ports and disturbances may arise to the great detriment of trade. Please invoke good offices of Secretary of State at once to take steps to stop the movement.